The Relationship Between Dislocation and Its Connection - Essay Example

? Unit Introduction The society is full of drug use and a number of other habits that are related to drug use. People around the globe are poor, alike and rich, and torn from traditional culture and family that constitutes normal basics of life in modern times. This society has subjected people to implacable pressures towards competition, individualism displacing them from public life. People will adapt from this displacement by making up with the best alternatives that they can sustain spiritual, social, and cultural addiction and wholeness, which provides these alternatives with more and more (Bruce 26). According to (Bruce 26), addiction has been rare for many centuries, but as time changes it has become universal because of circumstances. A good example is when an organized tribe culture crushes or maybe civilization that is advanced collapses. Historical perspective cannot deny vulnerability differences that are built in individual characters, genes and experience, but rather removes those differences from forefront attention. This is because what society determines is powerful. Addiction is not only an individual disorder but also a social problem. In his book, The Globalization of addiction, Alexander recommends radical thinking of addiction. He claims that Alcohol and Drug addiction only accounts for a 20% of addiction serious problems. Additionally, he notes out that the main cause of increasing addiction is the loss of cultural values and traditions. This has caused the whole society to suffer from dislocation psychosocial as well as lose its identity, thus individuals becoming vulnerable to addiction. To add to this, he draws examples from diverse and historical cultures in Europe, China and Canada. He believes that the hyper capitalism has spurred the addiction globally in financially unstable times. He argues that unemployment and unaffordable housing has exacerbated self-seeking and persistent competition, which continues to stress many individuals (Bruce 29) He also adds that we always consider the stressors as economic problems, which they are, but has a psychological impact on marriages, families and other young individuals hope for the future. This impact of dislocation makes individuals who live in a free-society market more exposed to addiction. He also criticizes politicians in United States and Canada for promoting drug laws that are tough and elimination of needle safe injection sites. He claims that such insensitive measures has never and will never stop globalization of addiction. However, he contends that in order to control addiction we need a society that is structured. There are also many initiatives that are straightforward that can also control it, if the society gets wiser of what causes it. For example, failure to teach children to be self-centered and competitive as well as regulating good housing market (Bruce 29). He refers “Tragically Cool” as those people who rely on endless and technology road to consumption, in order to fill the gap that is left by lack of values, social roles, and beliefs that are connected by social, economic, and political issues. They rely on online programs, videos and other available activities to fill the gap of being socially dislocated. Such “Tragically cool” individuals will always look for any opportunity to use the internet and are unable to control or reduce their use. Additionally, they will always try to disguise or hide the amount of time they spend on the internet. As a result, they become dislocated from the society, whereby, they avoid social gatherings and spend less time on other routine activities like eating, socializing in order to spend their time online (Bruce 32). I agree with Alexander views on globalization of Addiction. Addiction has a lot of meanings, because it contains basic uncertainty. Back then, it referred to a state of being involved intensely with something or activity. It also means being addicted to drugs and other harmful involvements, which produces signs like withdrawal. However, there is no scientific medicine to addiction, as well as reliable methods to prevent, take pain, or prevent it. It is going on around the world and its social perspective cannot deny the many differences in addiction, where it is both determined by political and social problems ( Alexander 151-163). Addiction goes beyond alcohol and drug dependency. This problem has become global because as Alexander claims, people around the world are rick, poor, alike and torn traditional, culture and family, which are the basics of life in the world today. Individuals are not only addicted to drugs but to other things as well. According to Schirato and Webb, individuals can also be addicted to things like internet, sex, gambling and books among others (49). Marks (24-25) on his article Beware the Irresistible Internet talks about the internet being a large part of individuals, which provides good resources when it comes to maintaining personal growth and a healthy memory. However, he argues that individuals can become addicted to the internet, which becomes a habit. He argues that behavioral addiction is a compulsion that is habitual in order to act in explicit ways on the person well being. However, some people are not happy with addiction, being referred to as behavioral. This is because, they argue that addiction can only be in the form of heroin, alcohol or other drugs. Instead, they refer to this addiction, as impulse disorders. He also adds that, individuals engage themselves on online activities like games and other programs. Although such games and programs are designed to help individuals get away from maladaptive behaviors, not all behaviors are beneficial. Internet addiction is time wasting and cannot be compared to impulse disorders. Alexander (151-163) claims that addiction can be devastating, but can also be beneficial or harmless. It is also an opportunity or necessity. For those who use drugs, it can sometimes be beneficial instead of engaging themselves from science consideration. For example, those who use heroine benefits in a number of ways like, calming the person, controls ejaculation that is not premature, helps the use feel good when angry, depressed, headaches, reduces fear as well as give the person a sense of belonging. I agree with Alexander’s claims about the relationship between dislocation and its connection to a consumer based society. Alcohol and drug addiction only accounts for a small percentage of serious addiction problems. This is because loss of values and traditions is one of the major causes of addiction, whereby, the whole society is suffering from dislocation. As a result, the society is losing its identity and individuals are becoming vulnerable to addiction. To add to this, individuals represent ‘The Tragically Cool’ as well as rely on ‘cutting edge’ to the point of addiction in order to fill the gap that is left by lack of values, social roles and beliefs that are connected by social, economic and political issues. I also agree with his thinking that many of us identify or experiences psychosocial dislocation, which is ‘poverty of the spirit’. For example, being financially unstable, unemployment and unaffordable housing are some of the major experiences that many of us identifies with psychosocial dislocation. This is because financial instability, unaffordable housing and unemployment basics of life that when many of us lacks we become stressed up and dislocate from the society. Additionally, being cut off from social roots like religion, family, community and other common interest also leads to dislocation. Alexander (151-163) argues that such dislocation leads to many problems as well as other models of additive behavior. Addiction type 3 is also a global health issue. This is can be well explained by consumer based economy and free market society which creates dislocation, leading to addiction type 3. The social addiction perspective does not reject the people’s differences that are vulnerable to addiction, but rather removes such individuals from forefront attention. This means that communal determinants are powerful and social situations which spread addiction in a civilization that is falling is built in modern free-market global society. Alexander (151-163) contends that a Free-market is productive, though it subjects individuals to pressures that are irresistible towards competition and individualism. This he says tears both the poor and rich from close spiritual and social ties, which constitute to basic things in human life. Individuals prefer to adapt to dislocation by substituting for spiritual and social life, which they prefer, where addiction serves their function well. References Alexander.B.Addiction. 1988, Pg 151-163 Retrieved from: http://globalizationofaddiction.ca/articles-speeches/behavioural-addictions.html Bruce K Alexander (2008), The globalization of addiction: a study in poverty of the spirit Oxford University Press. Marks.P (2010),Beware the irresistible internet: Pg 24-25 Retrieved from: http://healthymemory.wordpress.com/2010/10/20/beware-the-irresistible-internet/ Schirato.T& Webb.J. Understanding globalization, Paradise : Dustbooks.2003 Pg 49. The Ryan Van Cleave video interview: Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciOuJ2kecgI Read More